The present invention relates generally to mailing packs, and more particularly, is directed to a mailing pack with a secure tab closure arrangement.
While attending trade shows and the like, a person often collects large amounts of literature from the different booths. This literature is carried in a bag, attache case, suitcase or the like. This, however, becomes rather bulky, and also adds much weight to the bag, attache case, suitcase or the like during travel.
If the person desires to mail the literature back to his home office, in order to reduce the weight during travel, the person must first find a mailing envelope or mailing box. Even when this is accomplished, separate sealing means in the form of adhesive, tape, staples or the like must be used to seal the mailing envelope or mailing box. Also, the literature tends to slide around in such mailing envelope or mailing box, and may become disorganized.
Although various mailing packs are known which use locking tabs, these containers orient the tabs in the same direction as the folding direction of the flaps to which they are connected. Since there would be a tendency for the tabs to escape, the tabs are provided with locking ears at opposite ends thereof to prevent such escape.
The combined width of the tabs and locking ears are longer than the slots which receive the tabs. As a result, when a tab enters a slot, the ears bend inwardly, and after the tab is in the slot, the ears bend outwardly to retain the tab in the slot, by engaging behind the outer edges of the slot. Although this provides a relatively secure arrangement for mailing, the use of locking ears on the tabs adds complexity to the tabs, makes it more difficult to assemble the mailing pack, and makes opening of the mailing pack at the delivery end difficult.
Further, such tabs are only provided at various fold lines of the mailing pack so as to be unobtrusive. As a result, the tabs are positioned away from the contents of the mailing pack, and do not interact therewith. Specifically, the tabs are formed as extensions of the free edges of the folding panels of the mailing pack.
In addition, because of the locking ears, it is difficult to make a shallow mailing pack.